1 / 15

IMPACTS OF NATURAL GAS ON ELECTRICITY & HOME HEATING MARKETS

IMPACTS OF NATURAL GAS ON ELECTRICITY & HOME HEATING MARKETS. Restructuring Roundtable April 30, 2010. Susan Reid, Senior Attorney Director, MA Clean Energy & Climate Change Initiative (617) 850-1740 sreid@clf.org. About CLF.

trevet
Télécharger la présentation

IMPACTS OF NATURAL GAS ON ELECTRICITY & HOME HEATING MARKETS

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. IMPACTS OF NATURAL GAS ON ELECTRICITY & HOME HEATING MARKETS Restructuring Roundtable April 30, 2010 Susan Reid, Senior Attorney Director, MA Clean Energy & Climate Change Initiative (617) 850-1740 sreid@clf.org

  2. About CLF • Founded in 1966, CLF uses legal advocacy, science and economics to protect the people and environment of New England. • Four program areas: • Clean Energy & Climate Change • Ocean Conservation • Clean Water & Healthy Forests • Healthy Communities & Environmental Justice • Environmental consulting affiliate: CLF Ventures

  3. The climate context: 80% below 1990 levels by 2050

  4. Natural Gas = Key Transitional Fuel • ~ 50% lower GHG emissions as compared to coal-fired generation in New England* • Other pollutants too (PM, Pb, Hg, etc.) • Supply-side of the equation has shifted significantly • Marcellus Shale • New LNG terminals (Canaport, offshore) • New technologies and markets (microCHP)

  5. But “transitional” is key: • By 2050, must significantly reduce use of natural gas • So, need to consider long-term picture for any major new natural gas infrastructure ✔Repowering coal plants with natural gas ? Other markets -- CNG vehicles ✖New LNG terminals w/out demonstrated need

  6. Shale gas development

  7. Waste pit/shale gas

  8. Shale Gas Extraction – Environmental Impacts • Release of toxic contaminants: natural (benzene, arsenic, Hg) and chemical • Groundwater contamination – risks for drinking water supplies, including NYC’s • Lifecycle GHG emissions/studies underway • Huge volumes waste (contaminated H2O) • Destruction of land, wildlife habitat • Noise, community disruption

  9. …and inadequate regulation… • Exemptions/loopholes in federal environmental statutes: • Clean Air Act (wells not aggregated) • Clean Water Act (stormwater/extent disputed) • Safe Drinking Water Act • Resource Conservation and Recovery Act • CERCLA (Superfund) *Pending FRAC Act would close some loopholes

  10. Methane in water-CO

  11. Contaminated drinking water - PA

  12. Potential to improve shale gas environmental performance: • Capture air emissions • Reduce, reuse, recycle toxic substances • Substitute non-toxic alternatives • Closed-loop, pitless drilling • Prevent leaks • Well clustering, centralized operations, remote telemetry, piping systems

  13. “Greener” approaches w/ cost savings benefits: • Non-toxic fracking fluids found to be effective and less costly • Closed loop drilling shown to save up to $180,000 per pit • Cost savings from capture and sale of methane • Reuse of drilling fluid shown to result in 50%+ drilling cost savings source: NRDC

  14. Shale gas v. LNG • Potential GHG emission reduction benefits • Must consider lifecycle GHG emissions • Energy security – domestic supply • Environmentally responsible practices are essential in all contexts

  15. Sue Reid, Senior Attorney Director, MA CECC Initiative Phone: 617-850-1740 E-mail: sreid@clf.org For more information…

More Related